Crossroads of Fate's paths
by FoxwolfJackson
Summary: What happens when Chrono and his team no longer just travel through time? Find out in the story.
1. A New failed Invention

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in the story except any characters that I have made up myself.

Chapter 1: A new (failed) invention!

Lucca sat on a chair in her house. She was working on another invention of hers. She picked up the screwdriver and started to tighten a few small screws here and there. Staring at it, she wondered how it would work out. She pressed a button and it immediately started to hum. It looked at Lucca and said, "What would you like to eat?"

Lucca was surprised but managed to reply, "Could I have some chicken soup?"

The robot replied, "Affirmative." It started to make many clicking sounds, and then it started to glow. Lucca looked eagerly in anticipation at the machine. If it actually worked, she would be so happy. If it did not... well, that was another story. Lucca watched as the machine started to glow brighter. Suddenly a spark flew across the machine. Before she could react, it exploded, sending live chicken flying around the room. Getting off the floor and sighing, she wondered what went wrong. The machine was only supposed to be a mechanical can opener, but somehow she created something entirely different. Sighing, she walked out of the house to get some fresh air. It was indeed a beautiful day. She decided to go to her friend Chrono's house. Shouting a good-bye through the doorway, she sprinted north toward the house that she knew all too well.

She arrived at the house and knocked the door. She stood there for a few minutes before Chrono's mother answered the door.

Lucca said, "Hello there. Is Chrono home?"

Chrono's mother said, "No, he's in the forest, training in his usual spot."

Lucca sighed then said, "Okay, thanks."

As she started off, Chrono's mother said, "When you see him, tell him lunch is ready."

Lucca smiled back and said, "Will do ma'am."

Lucca walked toward the former place for the Millenial Fair. Behind the area was a forest, and slightly further on is a clearing. This clearing was the favorite spot for Chrono to train. Chrono never really trained alone; he had Marle to train with. After they were married, Chrono and her never really gave up fighting evil, and had devoted most of their spare time to trying to fight crime. When there was not much crime, they came to this area to train. Lucca walked along the path, and sure enough he heard the sounds of combat between the two. In their training, since they were not opponents, they didn't use their weapons, but resorted to hand-to-hand combat. Lucca laughed the first time Chrono fought Marle. He lost to Marle, having underestimated her. Lucca finally arrived and saw the two training. Marle jumped away from Chrono and powered up to do a magic attack.

Marle raised her hands, looked toward Chrono, and gave a small laugh. She shouted, "Ice, power 2!"

Suddenly a block of ice appeared and sat gently on her hands. She used the rest of the power of the attack to throw it at Chrono. Intrigued, Lucca sat hiding in a bush, watching what would happen. The block of ice was too big and Chrono couldn't dodge it. It hit him, and he was thrown into a lake behind him. He climbed out and rubbed his head saying, "It feels like there's some kind of metal in there! Oh well, try this!"

Chrono then smiled at Marle in a rather peculiar way, raised his hands, and then he started to float off the ground. He shouted out, "LUMINAIRE!"

Suddenly there was a bright flash of light, and Lucca's hair stood up on end from the power of the attack. When the flash ended, Lucca's hair was standing up straight, all frayed on the ends. Marle was laying on the ground, her clothes slightly singed. Her hair was, surprisingly, still the same. Lucca then jumped out of the bushes and said in a playful way, "Hey guys, it's my turn!"

She raised her hands and said, "Flare attack!"

As with the other attacks, a powerful elemential attack ensued. The attack hit Chrono, since he was standing and didn't have time to dodge. He was engulfed by the fire and was thrown against a tree. Luckily, since Marle was on the ground from the Luminaire, she wasn't hit by the attack. The flare soon ended, and none of trees were set on fire.

Chrono shouted, "What the blazes, no pun intended!"

Lucca tossed an elixir to both of them, and both of them used them. Suddenly, they were healed of all battle fatigue and wounds. Lucca said, "Well, I decided to drop by for a visit. Perhaps we could even a small get together today?"

Chrono looked at Marle then said, "Sure, why not."

Marle said, "I don't mind. We can always train another day."

Lucca said, "Well, let's go to my place."

Chrono and Marle said, "Wonderful!"

Lucca then said, "After we stop at Chrono's. His mother invited us to lunch."

Everyone arrived at Chrono's house to eat when Marle said, "So Lucca. I hear that you're making a new invention."

Lucca smiled and said, "Yes, I am. Actually, I'm working on two. One of them is a mechanical can opener. The other one is an ultra-secret one."

Chrono groaned and said, "Telepod two?"

Lucca said, "How about after we eat, we go down and see them?"

Marle said, "Sounds great! I can't wait to see them."

Everyone had finally finished eating lunch when Lucca said, "These are inventions that I have been working on for a very long time." She smiled and added, "I hope that these don't turn out like the telepod."

When everyone arrived, Lucca had just remembered about the disaster with her invention from earlier that day. She laughed nervously to Marle and Chrono then said, "I, well, remembered something... I had a small accident with one of the inventions this morning, so the back room should seem a little messy."

Chrono winked at her and said, "Don't worry. Not all your inventions mess up. Some of them actually work."

Marle winked at Chrono and said, "Unless my pendant is involved."

Lucca said, "Yeah, well, I never expected it to turn out like _that!_ Besides, if it never happened, we would never have had that adventure."

Marle winked at Chrono and said, "And other things spun off from that quest as well."

Lucca said, "Let me get the other invention."

Chrono smiled at Marle then turned to the window. He stared outside, looking at the clouds. As he was looking, he started to wonder about many things. He wondered how Robo was doing in his future world. He was wondering how Glenn was doing in the past. He was wondering how Ayla was faring in the far past. Finally, his mind set on Magus, and his quest for his sister. Chrono suddenly broke out of his trance and looked up. He saw clouds that looked like each of his friends before they drifted apart in the breeze. Lucca soon walked back into the room.

Marle said to Lucca, "Well, where is the other invention?"

Lucca said, "I don't know, I don't know!"

Marle said, "Well, did you hide it?"

Lucca gave a strange smile and said, "As a matter of fact, I did. I remember now... Come with me! I remember where I put it."

She beckoned them to follow her outside. Marle and Chrono exchanged glances before following their friend. Lucca led them past Chrono's house, past the site of the Millenial Fair, through the forest, and past the castle.

Chrono said, "Any further?"

Lucca said, "No, I wanted to make it well hidden. So, I hid it in the place no one could find it."

Marle said, "And that would be?"

Lucca emerged upon a rather large clearing in the forest. In that clearing there were a few trees, and a lake of clear water. A few hills surrounded the area. Lucca said, "Normally I would teleport to this secret spot, but the telepod is broken." She stood next to the lake and clapped her hands. A small sphere appeared on the water's surface and was bobbing gently.

Lucca said, "Well, it's time to show you the invention."

Chrono looked around, with a strange look on his face. Finally he turned to Marle and exclaimed, "I knew there was something metal in that lake! We were just training here!"

Lucca smiled and opened a door to the sphere. She went inside it, beckoning the others to follow. After Chrono and Marle entered the sphere, it closed it's door. Lucca smiled and said, "This is my prized invention. It will help feed all the starving children of all time."

Chrono said, "All time?"

Lucca gave a rare sinister smile and said, "You'll see my friend. You'll see... In fact, I used it to prepare for today's special occasion."

Chrono said, "What kind of special occasion?"

Lucca stared at him and said, "You've been so busy training and helping the forces of good that you forgot? I'll remind you when we get there."

As the pod took them underwater, chrono looked out the window. Deep down in the pond he saw a cave. Chrono pointed to the cave and Lucca nodded. Suddenly the pod tilted over and entered the cave. It right sided itself again, and floated up to reveal an underground cavern. The pod door opened and everyone stepped out. Chrono said, "A hidden place to experiment, no doubt."

Lucca smiled and said, "A scientist can't work on more dangerous experiments without a place to hide them."

She walked down the path and beckoned the others to follow her. At the end of the path, Lucca smiled and said, "Chrono, you go first."

Chrono looked at her and said, "I know you're up to something, but I guess I'll find out soon enough."

He walked through the doorway, followed by Lucca and Marle. As soon as they walked in, the lights turned on, and Lucca shouted, "SURPRISE!"

Chrono said, "A surprise party?"

Lucca said, "It's your twentieth birthday! And my new invention is a food materializer." She pointed to a machine in the corner and continued, "It can materialize food out of thin air, just by rearranging the atoms in the atmosphere! Neat, huh?"

Chrono smiled and said, "Yeah, neat."

Lucca walked forward and showed some food sitting on the table. There was pie, ice cream, chips, pretzels, and many other food items that were typical of a birthday party. Lucca said, "And I decided to save the best for last."

Chrono said, "Well, what is the best?"

Lucca said, "A birthday cake! Freshly made and ready to eat."

Chrono said, "You're going to make a birthday cake with that machine?"

Lucca said, "All the other food here was made in that way.

Chrono took a nibble at a pretzel and said, "It tastes real." He took a few pretzels and started to eat, while waiting for Lucca. Marle looked at Chrono, smiled, took some chips, and did the same. They watched as Lucca fiddled with knobs and handles, and typed at a keyboard. They marveled at her genius, wondering how she was able to make a machine like this. Finally, Chrono said, "With this, people will never have to go hungry again. You can throw dirt into there, and it'll rearrange the atoms for making food."

Lucca said, "Exactly! And now here's your cake."

Marle was staring at the machine."Awesome! Is it chocolate or van--" she paused halfway through her sentence. She put her hand to her chest, and pulled out the pendant. It started to glow again. Marle said, "Darn, not again!"

She ripped the pendant off, and threw it away from the machine. It flew through the air, but suddenly stopped. It was just hovering in mid-air, not doing anything. Suddenly, the machine let out a lightning bolt and it hit the Pendant. It suddenly created a bright red portal near the machine. The light was very bright, and the noise was deafening Lucca stared at the pendant and shouted, "It's disappearing!" Marle looked and saw that Lucca was right. In almost no time at all, the pendant completely disappeared. Chrono said, "What the hell?"

Lucca shouted, "I don't know what's going on! I really don't! It must have been a reaction, but the portal's bright red."

Chrono said, "Let's get out of here."

No sooner had he uttered those words that a strong gust blew the door shut. A boulder fell from the ceiling and blocked the doorway. Lucca shouted, "I'm going to activate the telepod to get us out of here!"

Just as Lucca uttered those very words, a sudden gust of wind blew. It was too strong to resist and almost everything was swept up into the portal, both food and people. The only thing that remained in the room was a solitary birthday card, with the words, "Friends forever, no matter how long time may last. Happy birthday." As the last breeze blew, the card fluttered motionlessly to the ground, where it made a slight rustling noise.


	2. If it's alright

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters in this story except original characters.

Chapter 2

If it's alright...

A tranquil forest sat near a mountain, not a sound could be heard for miles around. Yet, as soon as the sun reached the top of the sky, a faint sound of battle was heard, miles from where it originated. It was a sound of metal clashing with metal. Another clash soon emanated, only to be followed by another one shortly after. A few seconds, and another clash is heard, followed once again by another one, each one getting closer than the last. After a few minutes of clashing, the sounds of people can be heard as well. Metal clashing and people grunting with effort from the battle. The sounds were getting ever so closer; birds were fluttering from trees. The sounds continued to get closer as the deer were running away from the sounds. Each sound was gradually getting closer than the last one. Each one was more violent, more frenzied, and more powerful than the last one.

Two people soon emerged from bushes nearby, a male and a female. One was dressed in purple, and had a large sword. He had blonde hair, which seemed to be in rather messy spikes. Judging from his actions, he was no older than twenty-five, but was definitely past his teen years. The other person was much younger than the first one. She had short, black hair, which she kept down. She was carrying around a rather large metal shuriken as her weapon in battle. She put up her weapon right as the guy swung his sword toward her. The impact of the weapons created an astonishing reverb of sound. Once again, the guy swung his sword at the girl, but this time, she was not ready. She barely managed to block the blow, but it threw her off balance. She stumbled backward and fell, quickly putting up her shuriken to block another assault from the guy. Quickly regaining her composure, she jumped back and threw the shuriken at the guy. He was not able to react quickly enough. The shuriken collided with his sword, sending both weapons some distance away from the duo.

The girl smiled and said, "Say Cloud, you're getting better at fighting everyday. Just know that I can still beat you!"

Cloud looked right back and said, "Yeah, sure, whatever."

Yuffie ran over to her weapon, fast as lightning, and said, "Don't you forget it! I'm faster than you."

Cloud sighed and said, "Yeah, sure. I understand. We should be heading back soon. The rest of the group is going to miss us."

Yuffie said, "I'll race you."

Cloud sighed again and said, "You know that you're going to win that."

Yuffie grinned and said, "Yep!"

After a few minutes of traveling through the woods, they arrived back at a small town. Cloud arrived at one of the houses and went inside, closely followed by Yuffie. Cloud scratched his head as he examined the surroundings around him. The house was empty, and there was hardly any lighting in the room at all. Cloud said, "Did everyone leave?"

Yuffie said, "I doubt everyone left. Maybe they went shopping."

Cloud made a noise and said, "Shopping for what? This was supposed to be a get-together party. I arrived early, and no one was here but you. Therefore, you suggested we train to pass the time. I thought this was a way to keep me away from here until everyone could set up the surprise."

Yuffie said, "Would I deceive you like that?"

Cloud simply said, "Yes."

Yuffie said, "Well, I would steal your materia, but I would never do something like that."

Cloud said, "Well, I guess I was wrong. You really weren't stalling. We took a lot of time out there training. Maybe everyone set up, waited very long, and decided to go home because we didn't show up."

Yuffie slowly replied, "I guess so." She looked at Cloud and continued, "We should go to Cid's house and see how he's doing. He can tell us what happened."

Cloud said, "Well, if everyone left, we can always visit Cid. I should have known not to train that long. You just were keeping me busy and off-guard too much."

Yuffie grinned and happily said, "Definitely!"

Both of them left the house to arrive at a neighbor's house. Cloud knocked the door and turned around. He said to Yuffie, "Hey, do you think anyone's inside?" He turned around to find she had disappeared. Quickly, he checked his pockets to make sure he still had his materia with him. Muttering to himself, he opened the door and walked inside. When Cloud shut the door, he suddenly found himself in a very dark room. No lights were on, no candles were lit, and the curtains were closed. Cloud groped at the wall for a few seconds and finally found the light switch. He flipped it and the lights went on.

Suddenly, a shout emanated from all corners of the room. The voices all shouted in unison, "Surprise!" to Cloud. Cloud jumped back and quickly pulled out his sword out of instinct. Behind a couch Yuffie jumped out and said, "Told you everyone didn't leave!"

Cloud said, "Damn! I should have known."

One guy walked out from behind the curtain and said, "Yeah, you _should_ have known that at least I'd be here. This is my damn house!"

Cloud said, "Cid, I already guessed that."

Cid said, "Well, I'm not the only one here."

A guy, with a gun on his arm, walked up to Cloud, and said, "Cloud, we thought you weren't going to show up!"

Cloud said, "Barret, you know full well that I was going to make it. Have you no faith in me after what we've been through?"

Cid exhaled a puff of smoke and said, "Yeah, that is true, but it's hard to figure you out sometimes."

A lady walked out from behind a counter, put her hands to her hips, and said, "Yeah Cloud! You worry us sometimes."

Cloud said, "Tifa! Oh, come on. You know I wasn't going to miss this. It's been a while since I've seen all you guys."

A stuffed doll and a strange creature walked into the room from the back door. The doll said, "Yeah, too long Cloud."

Cloud said, "Cait! Red! How are you doing?"

Red looked up and said, "I'm okay. Cosmo Canyon is doing great, even without me there for this party."

Cait said, "Well, you don't have to worry about me. I'm just here because, well, I am. You guys are my only friends, so hanging out with you guys is great."

Cloud looked and said, "Hey, where's Vincent?"

Cid said, "Dunno, he was here at first. He walked out the door to get a breath of fresh air, and he hasn't come back in. Damn, where has he gone to now?"

Cloud said, "We should go out the back and look for him."

Everyone walked out the back door, and looked around. A voice said, in a rather unenthusiastically voice, "Surprise…"

Cid sarcastically said, "Well, it seems that the aftershock was more powerful as I thought."

Vincent said, "I'm not really into this whole… surprise… thing."

Cloud said, "Hey, check it out. We got Picnic tables, food, and such. I guess it's time to party."

Cid said, "Quit saying things like a damn whimp!"

Cloud looked uneasy and somewhat enthusiastically said, "Let's party!"

Everyone gathered around the table and looked at all the food before them. They ate and played around and talked until it was almost sunset. Late into the celebrations, Vincent left and said he would be back in a few minutes. However, a few minutes passed and Vincent had not returned. Cloud became worried that something might have happened. He left the area to look for Vincent, while telling everyone that he would be right back.

Cloud looked all around the yard, but could not find Vincent. After searching the yard, he decided to try his luck searching the house. However, he met the same result; he could not find Vincent anywhere. Cloud finally gave up and started back outside the house to the party. Yet, as he passed a bush near the house, a strange gleam in the nearby vicinity caught his attention. He walked in the direction in the gleam; it seemed to be slightly off Cid's property. He finally arrived at the spot where he thought he saw the gleam. However, there seemed to be nothing there at all. Disappointed at his results, Cloud started back toward Cid's place. However, when he returned, everyone had disappeared. Suspecting another trick, Cloud decided to brace himself for another surprise. He cautiously opened the door to Cid's house and slowly looked around the inside. No one seemed to be inside, so Cloud walked back outside. This time, Cloud saw the gleam again, only this time, right next to the picnic table. It was mainly the same color as blood, except it had streaks of white. As Cloud approached it, he found out it was round, about two meters in diameter. Looking at it closer, he saw that it was a portal. As he bent over to examine it a little closer, he felt a slight breeze going into it. Before he had any time to think that maybe his friends were in there, a strong wind sucked him into the portal, warping him to an unknown place.


	3. When the going gets tough

A/N: Sorry for the late update… I just acquired FF8, and am thinking of adding them in when I beat it.

Chapter 3

When the going gets tough…

Chrono opened his eyes to see Marle standing over him. Mouthing a few silenced words to himself, he sat up. His whole body felt slightly sore, but there did not seem to be a cut anywhere. He looked around him to discover he was on the edge of a forest. Lucca kneeled by a small lake near the edge of the forest. She was washing her face in the water, her hair fluttering in the gentle breeze. Chrono took another look around him before lying back down. He sighed and looked into the sky. There was not a cloud to be seen in that bright blue sky. Chrono looked at Marle and asked, "Do you know where are we?"

Marle had a strange look in her eye before replying, "No, I don't know where we are. I wish I did, this place seems to be okay. I just hope I get back home soon!"

Chrono sighed and said, "Well, we won't just find our way home by wondering about it, now will we?" He looked over at Lucca and said, "Hey Lucca! We'll be moving out soon, so get ready to move."

Lucca looked back over and said, "Why do we have to leave so soon? I don't get it!"

Chrono sighed and said, "To find our way home. You do want to find a way home, don't you?"

Lucca gave a surprised look at Chrono. After a few seconds, she said, "Do you even have to ask that type of question?"

Chrono said, "I hope I don't have to. Now, it appears we are looking for a blood-red portal. I'm supposing it's not here, as I don't see any blood-red lights here. So, let's go to the nearest town."

Chrono, Lucca, and Marle took a glance back at the forest before continuing down the path that lay before them. The birds sang sweetly in the occasional tree by the path, and the sun was not blazing down upon them. There were a few clouds in the sky, and an occasional breeze was quite refreshing for everyone. They were walking about five minutes when suddenly they saw a town up ahead. A castle was farther ahead, looming over the town in the distance.

Finally, the group arrived into town, where they seemed to be out of place to the inhabitants there. The group split up in hopes to find some kind of information on where they were and how they could get back. Chrono managed to attract the attention of a few of the citizens of the town. He asked each of the citizens about who lived in the castle. The only reply Chrono could get was that the person who lived in the castle was their ruler whose name Chrono could not get. Marle managed to find out that the ruler of the place just recently ascended the throne. The person defeated the original leader in a hand-to-hand combat. Lucca managed to find out that the ruler was actually a female who was wearing strange clothes. Finally giving up on getting more information, Chrono decided to go to the castle and meet the ruler herself. While walking down the path, Chrono decided to take his time and admire the nature around him. The wind was breezing gently, blowing the crisp autumn leaves on the ground. Chrono watched as the leaves formed little vortexes on the ground. He looked up at the trees and saw that some of them still had green leaves on them. Wondering how that was possible, Chrono shook his head and continued down the path to the castle.

Upon arrival at the castle, a guard asked the group what they were doing there. Chrono simply replied that they were there to see the ruler. The guard, after some… persuasion… escorted the group to the room where the ruler was. It was an elegant room, with wonderful furniture all around. A curtain covered the back wall. The guard said, "Your Majesty, these are newcomers who wish to speak with you."

A voice from behind the curtain said, "Ruler happy. You may leave."

The guard said, "Yes your royal highness."

The guard left the room, and the voice spoke again, "Ruler busy. What business you have?"

Chrono said, "Your Majesty? I came here to ask for your advice. Let me explain our situation. We are not from around this area. We came from a faraway place, and now I am seeking a way back."

The voice said, "You come from faraway place? Sit down and tell tale."

Marle whispered to Lucca, "Someone needs to brush up on their grammar." Both girls started to giggle silently. Chrono gave a patronizing look at both of them before saying, "We were doing something in a place where we were."

Chrono paused and turned to Lucca whispering, "How do you describe a robot to a medieval ruler?"

Lucca whispered back, "As best you can."

Chrono turned back to the curtain and said in a slow loud voice, "My friend was working on a creation she had made. She put together a… thing… that could do something…"

He turned to Lucca and said, "I sound like an idiot."

Lucca said back, "Yes, you do. Just go on."

Chrono took a breath and continued, "That… thing… messed up and opened a hole in the ground. We fell in the hole for a very long distance and came out of the hole near this area. We walked from that place to here, hoping you can find a way to send us back."

The voice said, "I see. Wandering traveler lost. Me like wandering traveler. Wandering traveler tells great story. Wandering traveler should be town storyteller."

Chrono said, "But your highness! It is true!"

The voice said, "Me believe story. Me know story is true. Story happen to me too."

Suddenly the door burst open. The same guard ran into the room and said, "Your highness, a strange… thing… appeared out of nowhere from a large glowing hole in the floor. It is made of some kind of hard metal, and can speak! It speaks words about traveling through these things called portal. This strange creature is also shaped like a person, to a degree."

The voice said, "Me wonder who it is. Send in! Me want to meet speaking metal."

The guard said, "Yes, your highness."

Chrono muttered to Lucca, "Speaking metal?"

Lucca muttered to Marle, "Traveling though portals?"

Marle muttered to Chrono, "A robot possibly?"

For the third time in a short amount of time, the door burst open again, causing Lucca to shriek with surprise and gladness.

"ROBO!" Lucca shouted in happiness. You could see the tears in her eyes as she hugged the robot. She continued, saying, "I thought I'd never see you again!"

Robo looked at Lucca and said, "I am here and in good condition Miss Lucca. Miss Marle, it is good to see you. As well as you, Sir Chrono."

Chrono rubbed his head and said, "Remember what we said about calling us 'Miss' and 'Sir'?"

Robo said, "Indeed I do."

The voice said, "Chrono? Marle? Lucca? Robo? Frog? Magus?"

Chrono turned to the curtain in shock. Who would it be that would know about the group and their adventures against Lavos? Chrono asked in a rather demanding, yet surprised way, "Who's there! You forgot to mention Ayla."

The voice said, "Me had no reason to mention myself…" The curtain burst open to reveal Ayla jumping out. She did three front flips in the air, before landing ape-like on the ground. Right as Ayla landed, the guard burst the door open for the fourth time. He said, "Your Majesty, we have a very peculiar character who arrived near the same place the metal-man arrived."

Ayla said, "Me want to meet. Bring it in!"

Chrono said, "Frog is here as well?"

Lucca said, "It could be Magus."

Marle said, "Most likely Frog though."

Robo said, "Probability of Frog being here is high. The portal I went through is in a different time-frame than your portal. It is quite possible that it appeared by Frog as well. Probability of Magus being here is high, but not as high. Magus has dark magic to counteract powers of the portal."

The guard walked through the door to reveal someone, but it was not Frog. It was some kind of creature. Chrono looked at it, and immediately knew this was not a creature to cross in a fight. Chrono had trouble trying to figure out what it looked like. He managed to get glances in at Marle and Lucca, both of which had the same awed look as Chrono thought he must have. Chrono tentatively said, "Frog?"

The creature turned its head to Chrono, gave a puzzled look, and said, "I'm sorry. Last I checked my fur, the color was orange."

Chrono said, "Never mind, I mistook you for a friend of mine."

The creature said, "A friend of yours? Did you mistake that person for me? What does this person look like?"

Chrono slowly replied, "Well… he is… green. He looks like a cross between a frog and a human."

The creature looked and said, "I saw a being that looked like that in the portal on the way down here. As to where he went, I have no idea, but I strongly believe he's in this world."

Chrono uncertainly repeated, "In… this… world?" Chrono panicked when he heard that. That phrase confirmed his suspicions, much as he hated to admit it. He really was stuck in some alternate world, with possibly no way back. A sinking feeling was in his heart as he looked around the room. He shouted, "Damn it! It's not fair! Why do we have to get stuck in this damn world, go time traveling, and save the future while other people get to go around and live normal lives!"

Marle patted Chrono on the back and said, "Don't worry about it. Everything will be all right." She turned to the creature and said, "We still haven't found out what your name is."

The creature turned to Marle and said, "My name is Red XIII, but you can call me Rion. From where I'm from, I have saved the world with my trusted allies. However, at this current moment, I am in a little predicament. I got stuck in a portal and separated from my friends."

Lucca said, "Rion? Your nickname is Rion... Rion it is then! How do you think we can help you?"

Rion said, "Well, I guess we find a blood-red portal and get us back to where we came from."

Lucca raised her eyebrows and said, "Blood-red portal?" She started to stroke Rion's fur absentmindedly.

Rion said, "Please be careful with the fur."

Marle giggled and said, "Aw, Rion. You really do look cute. I mean, with that expression on his face, and that brilliant shade of fur. It's as bright as Chrono's cheeks when he proposed to me."

Chrono's fuming and anger soon turned to embarrassment as he turned his head away and muttered, "Can we please change the topic?"

Marle winked at him and said, "Sure thing squeaky-cheeks!"

Chrono completely turned away from the group and muttered, "We should be on our way to finding the rest of the group, and to find Rion's friend."

Rion said, "I appreciate your assistance. Thank you."

Marle laughed and said, "No problem. After all, you help save people. You're a hero like us. It's our turn to help a fellow hero!"

Lucca merely said, "It is good to help others out… when the going gets tough."

Chrono nodded and said, "I agree. Now, let's go help Rion here."

Ayla said, "No like ruling here. Not like Ioka village."

Chrono smiled and said, "You want to come with us?"

Ayla said, "Me go on another wild adventure?"

Chrono grinned even larger and said, "Hopefully bigger and better."

Ayla laughed and said, "I go with Chrono!"

Marle burst out laughing and said, "That's the spirit."

The guard cleared his throat and said, "I hate to burst your bubble miss, but who is going to rule the kingdom when you leave?"

Ayla said, "You."

The guard said, "Wait, what?"

Ayla repeated, "You."

The guard said, "Ruler of the kingdom?"

Ayla repeated yet again, "You."

The guard said, "Thank you miss!"

Ayla commandingly said, "Rule!" With that departing message, the group left the room in search for Rion's friends.


	4. To All Opinions… battle with swords

Chapter 4:

To All Opinions… battle with swords

Cloud looked up at the sky. The sky was somewhat overcast, and a slight breeze ruffled through the trees. He stood up to examine his surroundings. By the looks of it, it appeared that he was in a forest. He spotted the rest of the group, who were waking up as well. Tifa was the first one to sit up. She looked around and said, "Where are we?"

Cloud said, "I don't know."

Tifa said, "Well, at least everyone's here."

Cloud looked at the group, counted, thought for a moment, and then said, "Not quite! Rion is not here!"

Tifa quickly stood up and looked around as well. She said, "You're right! Where did he go? Could he have woke up before you and wandered off?"

Cloud said, "I doubt it. He would've stayed here and made sure we were alright."

Barret finally stood up and looked at Cloud and Tifa. He said, "What the hell was that portal?"

Cloud said, "I don't know."

Barret rubbed his head and muttered, "Hell, my head feels like it was whacked hard against a rock."

Cid sat up and said, "Well damn, it didn't feel good."

Yuffie jumped up and said, "No, but it was still somewhat fun. All that spinning just eventually got to me."

Vincent said, "Where the fuck are we?"

Cait Sith, who had just got up as well, muttered, "Maybe we're in the Neo-Classical Context."

Vincent said, "What?"

Cait Sith replied, "Nothing. Just a phrase I heard from a movie."

Vincent said, "Whatever. Now, how do we get back?"

Cloud said, "I don't know."

Barret exclaimed, "Well, hell! We're getting nowhere just standing here talking! We gotta find Rion and a way back home."

Cloud said, "Agreed. Let's go."

He led the group down the path in the forest, where he ran into a strange creature. It was green, similar to a frog, but stood on two legs. He carried a sword with him, and Tifa regarded him with some curiosity. Cloud gave a glance at the creature and moved on. It seemed Yuffie was the only one who approached the creature.

She walked up to it, gave it a quick glance down and up, and said, "Hey there cute fellow! Are you from around here?"

The creature looked at Yuffie and replied, "No, I am not. 'Tis just the decisions of fate that I have been brought to this location. Are you in need of any assistance?"

Yuffie grinned at the creature and replied, "No, I'm not. Hey, what's your name?"

The creature said, "My name is Glenn, but my friends call me Frog."

Yuffie said, "Glad to meet you Frog, my name is Yuffie."

Frog replied, "Yuffie… what a charming name. Is thy fair maiden traveling with those people there?" He pointed to Cloud and the group, who were watching carefully with mixed reactions.

Yuffie grinned again and said, "Yep, those are my friends."

Frog said, "Who is the one with the large sword and light messy hair?"

Yuffie replied, "Oh, that's Cloud Strife. He's the leader of our team."

Frog said, "I see. This may be a weird request, but ever since my friends have been separated from me, 'tis hard to know whether my sword skills measure up to other warriors."

Yuffie said, "Well, I shall see what I can do."

Yuffie returned to Cloud and the group and said, "Well, I know it sound strange, but this warrior is asking if Cloud would do battle with it. He claims that he was with a few friends when he was separated from them."

Cloud looked Frog over carefully and said, "What do we get in return for the battle?"

Yuffie said, "I don't know."

Cloud looked over Frog once more and said, "What's his name."

Yuffie said, "He says his name is Glenn, but his friends call him Frog."

Cloud said, "Then I shall battle this Glenn person. I want to make it quick, we have to find Rion."

Yuffie gave a squeal of delight and said, "Will do sir!"

As Cloud approached Frog, thoughts were racing fast through his head. He suspected that maybe this warrior knew where Rion went. Maybe Rion was with Glenn's friends, who must be in another place. Cloud still found this request a bit odd, though, in the prospect of battling someone who… well… was not even human.

Frog saw Cloud arrive and said, "Doth thou swear to make this a fair fight, with no magic spells, and make this fight a true test of swordplay?"

Cloud said, "Yes, I agree."

Tifa ran up and said, "Will you, after this fight, join us in our quest to find our friend?"

Frog replied, "I accept thy condition."

Barret walked up to Cloud and muttered, "Are you sure you can trust this guy? I know he seems sincere and all, but can he be trusted? What makes you think he won't pull some damn underhanded tactic and try to kill you? Shit, he could be some crazy nut wanting to take over the damn world! With you gone, he could really do it!"

Cloud replied, also in a whisper, "And if he does have a trick up his sleeve, I have my materia to counter it. No, this guy seems honorable enough. I believe he will live up to his word. To all opinions of what you and the rest have… this will be a plain battle with swords."

Cloud walked up, pulled out his buster sword, and said, "I'm ready… are you?"

Frog pulled out his masamune blade and said, "Doth thou feel the wind? The wind is the guide, which leads warriors to victory. Do not fight it!"

Frog raised his sword and charged Cloud. He jumped up, and with great power and strength, swung the sword downward at Cloud. Cloud raised his own sword to block it. The impact of the two swords created a shockwave, which knocked everyone watching back a few steps. The two swords grated against each other for a few seconds before Frog broke off. Both Frog and Cloud stared at each other in the eye for a second, before Cloud made up his mind. He went on the offensive this time, charging Frog with unimaginable speed. The dust cloud behind him was enormous, showing that his speed was not to be reckoned with. Cloud, however, looked like he was going to crash straight into Frog. Frog took a tighter grip on his blade and he stood there, anticipating the attack that was to occur. Suddenly, when Cloud was within sword range, he disappeared, and the dust cloud obscured the combatants from the crowd watching. Tifa watched with anticipation as the dust cloud hovered over the battlefield. All of a sudden, another shockwave ensued, throwing the whole dust cloud off the ground and into the sky, looking like a brown mushroom was growing in the sky.

Barret watched on in anticipation and said to Tifa, "I don't know about this. I don't give a damn about the outcome, but if they keep this up, someone's gonna die."

Tifa replied, "Not my Cloud. He won't die! He can't die! He's the best fighter we know, and I know for a fact that he will win."

The battle raged on for what seemed like an eternity. Each attack was skillfully executed by the attacker, and was gracefully blocked by the defender. Neither side seemed to be able to get an attack past the other's defenses. Each time they delivered a powerful blow to each other, another shockwave ensued. Each shockwave seemed stronger than the last, and the group watched in awe as neither of the two fighters seemed to want to give in.

Cid said, "Well screw this! We should worry about ourselves. If these shockwaves continue to get stronger with each blow, then I don't know how much more I can take. I don't know about all of you, but I want to live!"

Cait looked at Cid and said, "Wait! Something is going on!"

Cid looked over at the battlefield and saw that Cait was right. Both Cloud and Frog were standing on the battlefield, staring at each other with their swords down. Frog said, "You are indeed a skilled warrior, and I am humbled by your presence."

Cloud replied, "Well, you're a pretty good fighter yourself."

Frog said, "Doth thou wish to continue. We could both concede, and consider this battle a draw."

Cloud said, "Yeah, whatever… we need to save our strength for what might be coming ahead."

Frog said, "Well, I am humbled by the fact that I shall be joining you on your quest to save your friend. I can only hope that my friends are with your friend, and they both are fine. As the wind blows the sands around the beach, so too does the winds blow us apart from the ones we were close to for so long."

Barret looked at Cid and muttered, "This guy's a nutcase."

Cid whispered back, "Damn straight he is."

Cloud replied to Frog, "I am honored that you are joining us on our quest as well. For although we want to find our friend, we also wish to be able to return to our home world as well."

Both Frog and Cloud sheathed their swords and shook hands. Cloud knew this was going to be a long quest, quite possibly going to far places. Never had he dreamed that he would be right about that.


	5. Pain of Seperation

Chapter 5:

Pain of Separation.

Chrono looked back at the town that everybody departed from only a short time ago. Everyone was upset because of leaving the town. However, they knew they had to find a way for their furry new friend to return home. The group trudged on through the paths, wondering about where to go to next. Earlier, Chrono had suggested that everyone should return to where each of them had first woken up. As neither the place that Ayla ended up nor the place Robo arrived yielded any results, Chrono decided to search the forest near the spot where he, Lucca, and Marle first arrived.

As the group continued to the spot, each one of them seemed to feel something for each other. It was not the same feeling that friends get when they first meet. This feeling was different. It was respect… respect for their teammates. Despite the fact they lost Frog, and the fact they had just picked up another rather strange animal, they still felt a connection with each other. This special connection seemed to mean that each of them would give their lives to save another. Even though they were desperate and in search of finding those dear to them, they still felt comfort in their bonds of friendship and trust.

As Lucca traveled with the rest of the group, curiosity about what Rion was like gradually took over. Rion generally seemed to keep to himself, talking only when someone spoke to him or when he felt it was necessary to speak. She carefully looked at Rion, taking in details about him. He just seemed like an animal with red fur, markings on the body, and a flaming tail. There did not seem to be anything physically unique about him. However, even though she was just walking near him, she felt a certain… something… exude from him. She did not know what this something was, but she knew that this aura gave her a reason to respect and rely on this creature.

It seemed that Rion managed to keep a level head and a calm composure, despite being in a foreign land, separated from his friends, and traveling with an unfamiliar group of warriors. It was almost impossible to her how someone in such a situation could remain calm and collected. She smiled to herself as she admired the sheer determination of the creature. She absentmindedly watched Rion for a while as they traveled; she continually tumbled these thoughts through her head as she continued to watch him. Yet, as she watched him walk, she could not help but feel slightly guilty…

Throughout most of the walk, Rion had felt that Lucca was staring at him. He wondered what was going through her head. Eventually he decided that, although the attention was nice, the staring really needed to stop. He gradually slowed down so that both he and Lucca were walking next to one another. He then glanced at her, making sure to eventually make eye contact. He noticed that as soon as he made eye contact with Lucca, she quickly averted her gaze and looked forward. He muttered to her, "You do not need to be nervous. It is natural for humans to examine what they do not know."

Lucca managed to avoid eye contact and said, "Someone once said, 'Curiosity killed the cat.'"

Rion looked away from Lucca for a second, pondering the somewhat cryptic response. He turned back to find Lucca had finally decided to make eye contact with him again. He said, "What seems to be bothering you?"

Lucca averted his gaze and looked at the path. It seemed that it would still be some time before they would reach their destination. She was quiet for a few moments and looked at Rion again. She opened her mouth, as if to reply, but her mind seemed as if she could not say what she was thinking. Eventually she opened her mouth again and asked, "What are your friends like?"

Rion was once again slightly puzzled at the enigmatic responses that he seemed to be getting. He finally responded, "Well, each of my friends are unique in their own way."

Lucca once again broke eye contact and stared forward. She sighed and said, "How are they unique?"

Rion, expecting the question, replied, "Well, there is Cloud. He was, in a sense, our leader. In some ways, he was mentally unstable; in other ways, he was a pure genius. Even though he had his own faults, he was still one of the most trustworthy individuals that anyone could ever have known. We worked together in hopes of saving the planet from that evil menace, Sephiroth. Eventually, Cloud did manage to take Sephiroth down and save the planet."

Lucca said, "Who else? What were they like?"

Rion said, "Cid loved to cuss. He would be swearing left and right over the most normal of things. Cait Sith was rather interesting… being he was a stuffed doll who could actually fight. Barrett cussed, but not as much as Cid did. He was usually the life of any party. Yuffie was a ninja who enjoyed stealing our materia. I was usually silent in the group, watching the others have fun. Vincent was a loner, only helping because it seemed to clear his conscience of something he did in the past."

He paused and Lucca said, "Who else?"

Rion looked a Lucca and said, "Yes, there was one other person in our team. She seemed to have the most interest in Cloud, both in interests and in relationships. She was quite a character, unique in so many ways. She was the only one of us who did not use a weapon. Instead, she focused mainly on her martial arts skills. Her name was Tifa, and everyone respected her skills in combat."

Lucca looked at Rion, and made eye contact. She said to him, "It sounds like you really miss them."

This time, Rion broke eye contact with Lucca. He said, "Yes… I miss them. I honestly do miss them. When they are gone and it seems as if I cannot get back to them, it feels like I am empty inside again. That is why I am who I am. Even though I am empty, I try my best to fill that emptiness with courage and wisdom. Unlike others I know, who wallow in their sorrow and emptiness… I embrace it, and use it as a chance to work harder and improve myself."

Lucca said, "I used to feel like that. Before I met Chrono, my life was empty. Other children teased me because of who I was. I was always a gifted student who had a rather large pair of eyeglasses." With that statement, she carefully adjusted her eyeglasses. She continued, "When I met Chrono, I felt that emptiness fill with happiness. I felt like I was alive again. I felt as if I would never be lonely again. When Lavos killed him, I felt like that monster ripped away a large part of whom I was. I thought I never would feel happy again. Yet, I continued onward. I persevered throughout trials, and my emptiness filled with a burning desire to find a way to bring Chrono back. When we did, I promised myself that I would _never_ let something like that happen again."

Rion said, "Yes, the pain of losing something close is always greater than the pain of being lonely your whole life. This greater pain is what separates the strong from the weak. The weak continue to wallow in self-pity, and choose not to fill the emptiness. The strong try to overcome many pains to fill the emptiness with something useful, and to continue to validate their existence by doing what they can to help all people. To use the pain for your advantage is a sign of a truly strong person. To waste the pain and do nothing about it but sit around and do nothing is a sign of weakness. People only live one life, so it is only right that they should live it to the fullest. The line between weakness and strength is very thin, and it is quite often for even the most respected person to cross that line one time or another."

Lucca listened to Rion talk about the weaknesses and strengths of a person. She looked back in time and thought about all the pains she had endured. When Chrono died, she was the one who brought everyone together to find plans of reviving him. She used the pain of the moment and used her pain to accomplish something. She used her pain for the good of others, and to accomplish something. She suddenly felt like she was a bit stronger. This seeming strength started to course through her veins, lifting her mood and giving her a new perspective.

Nevertheless, as she continued to get this new strength, her original worries came back. She suddenly started to feel hopeless again. She realized that this pain was similar to the one from the last time, but this time, she could not seem to find a possible way out of it. She knew there was a way of fighting back, but the solution seemed so impossible.

Rion looked at Lucca once again and said, "You seem troubled. Is something bothering you at all?"

Lucca snapped away from her reverie and said, "No, nothing at all. Nothing is wrong at all. I was just musing over something."

Rion looked at her for a few seconds, causing her to feel uncomfortable. She felt as though he was staring into her very soul, trying to pierce through her lies to find what was wrong. He finally said, "Use this pain to your advantage. You have been strong once before. Try to be strong again."

Chrono looked back and said, "Okay everyone. We are back to where we came out. It seems that there is this portal here."

He turned to Lucca to find that she was back to daydreaming. He said to her, "Lucca, we need you to find out if this was the same portal that carried us here in the first place."

Lucca was starting to make plans on how to escape from the place and to fix everything that went wrong when suddenly she was pulled away from her abstraction by Chrono. She looked up at him and said, "Could you repeat that please? I was trying to think of a plan."

Chrono sighed and repeated, "I need you to find out if this was the same portal that carried us here in the first place."

Lucca looked around and said, "What portal?"

Chrono said, "What is wrong with you? The portal that is right in front of you."

Lucca looked down to find a circular portal with a radius of one foot. It was floating about three feet off the ground, so it seemed almost impossible that she missed it. She examined it carefully, looking at it from all angles. She constantly muttered aloud, saying comments like "it is the same color" and "the swirl of the vortex is also clockwise".

She finally looked up at Chrono and said, "Okay, it is the same portal that took us here in the first place."

Chrono said, "Well, any ideas on how we are to get into it?"

Lucca looked at it again and said, "Well, since its diameter is two feet, I think most of us can somehow wriggle through that hole. However, Rion and Robo cannot. We need a way to make this hole wider so that we can fit those two through the hole."

Robo said, "Leave."

Rion added, "We are okay without you. Return home and find a way to widen this portal. We shall make sure nothing happens to this entrance or us. I can guarantee it."

Lucca nodded in acknowledgment and said, "Okay everyone. Let's ride this portal and go home so we can help solve this mystery."

She looked and said, "Well, this portal seems to be put a bit high. Robo, could you lift me up so I can get in?"

Robo said, "Affirmative."

Robo carefully lifted Lucca up to the portal where she could get in. She climbed in and said, "Robo, can you help the others?"

Robo said, "I will."

Lucca smiled at Robo and disappeared into the portal. Chrono said, "I don't need any help."

He jumped into the air and did a front flip before flying toward the portal. However, his aim was slightly off and he ended up crashing face first into the ground. Luckily, nothing serious happened to him; he just had a few scratches on his face and arm. He looked around and said, "Not a word." He jumped up again and without any stunts, he dived headfirst into the portal. Robo assisted Marle into the portal and sat down. Rion said, "Well, it's just us now. I hope, for everyone's sake, that nothing bad happens to them or us."

A voice behind them said, "You are a little late to say that."

As Rion turned around, he saw a sword heading straight for him. He saw that he was unable to dodge it and felt as though fate had finally decided to claim Rion's life for himself…

Rion closed his eyes, knowing he was too slow to dodge the attack. In the short time he had, he thought, "_Is this really the end? Is this how I am to die? I have lived long, but not long enough. I can do more… I know I can do more if I lived longer. I cannot believe it is to end like this._"

As he finished his final thought, he heard a large clash in the air, as if metal crashed with metal. Rion opened his eyes to see that Robo had saved his life. He had one hand out, from which the tip of the sword had stabbed through. Another hand had grabbed the sword at another place to hold it from flying any further.

A figure in the shadows of the forest came at the two with blinding speed. He jumped over a few bushes, and grabbed the handle of an overly large masamune. The figure pulled hard on the sword, attempting to free it from Robo's clutches. Both of Robo's hands emitted sparks, as the sword had severed some of the circuitry inside. Robo made a small sound, as if to ascertain the fact that they were in danger.

Rion looked in amazement at the figure in front of him. The wind blew, causing the person's long, gray hair to stream out behind him. Rion breathed a name that he thought he would never say in fear again.

"Sephiroth…"


	6. Angels and Robots

Author's Notes: Well, this will be the first time I have used divisions to divide between character groups. Tell me how it goes… I am just as anxious as you are to see how this will work out. Sorry for Frog's "Olde English" thing. I found that it is a great way to keep him in character, but if it becomes too confusing, I shall remove some of the harder to figure out words. BTW, I feel so bad about betraying a certain company's name from a game, but I seriously do not remember their name. If you happen to know it (and it's not Truth and Reconciliation), then please tell me.

Chapter 6

Rise and Fall: Angels and Robots.

Rion looked up at the menacing figure that stood before him, every nerve in his body seemed to be tingling with fear. Haunting memories of their previous encounter fogged his vision. Each memory tugged at every fiber of his mind, threatening to shut it all down. Fear of this person had paralyzed his body. Every cell in his body seemed to shrink in fear at the presence at the owner of the sword. Even the trees of the surrounding areas curled their leaves in protection and fear.

Rion looked up at Robo and noticed that the sword had finally been pulled out of his hands. Robo started to whir a little, as he analyzed the situation. He finally said, "Situation, critical. Seek assistance immediately."

Sephiroth swung his sword, making contact with Robo, the sword biting into Robo's steel and short-circuiting his circuitry. Robo fell down to the ground, his body showing no sign of working at all. Sephiroth then focused his attention at Rion. Sephiroth glared at Rion, every fiber of his concentration seemed to be boring a hole right into the creature. Electricity seemed to dance around his vividly blue eyes. He spoke to Rion in a deep, yet menacing voice. Each word seemed to echo in the distance, as to make sure that everyone had received the message. He said, "It has been a while… since the last time I saw you bleed."

Rion stepped back in intimidation and said, "You… how did you come back? We destroyed you and Cloud removed any part of you that was still left inside of him?"

Sephiroth stood there for a second, never breaking his merciless gaze. Suddenly, he started to laugh loudly; it was a laugh that sent a chill down Rion's spine. He did not know what was so funny to Sephiroth, but he knew better than to say anything.

After a minute of what seemed to be a good joke to Sephiroth, he said, "Foolish people cannot defeat the determined. I have found a way back, through a path that was crimson red. Is that color not a color to rejoice for? It is the color that had saved me, and it is the color that I shall soon be spilling from your worthless body. However, before I do that, I must ask one simple question. Where is Cloud?"

Rion answered with a quick retort, "Nowhere you can find him."

Sephiroth's electric blue eyes seemed to lose its spark at that moment, as he twirled the blade he had in his hand for a second. He stopped and thrust his sword forward, stopping it right next to Rion's throat. He said, "The grass eagerly awaits to be fed with your blood. With your answers, I am sure they can all drink their fill. Unless, of course, you decide that you wish answer me correctly this time. So now, I shall ask you one more time. Where is Cloud?"

Rion barely managed to gather enough courage for his response. He spat at Sephiroth and said, "Go to hell, you heartless bastard!"

Sephiroth's mouth twitched, apparently slightly amused at the response. He replied to Rion, "Well, that wasn't a nice thing to say. I guess you decided to make the grass happy."

Sephiroth thrust forward with his sword in an attempt to slice Rion's throat. Rion quickly noticed Sephiroth's attack and barely managed to dodge. Sephiroth looked at Rion and started to laugh. He said, "Fools and cowards only fight so far."

Rion riposted, "That's why you lost, wasn't it?"

Sephiroth's vividly blue eyes started to crackle with electricity again. He said, "Fools and cowards only have temporary victories. Only the strong survive to claim what is theirs."

He swung his sword once again at Rion, who parried the attack quick a speedy hop backward. He ran as fast as he could toward Sephiroth and shouted, "Sled Fang!"

The attack made contact with Sephiroth, but it seemed he had a magical barrier protecting him, which absorbed most of the damage. Rion swore aloud and shouted, "And you have the nerve to call us cowards?"

Sephiroth simply replied, "Stupid is as stupid does."

* * *

Chrono and the rest of the team emerged from the portal, near the lake from where Chrono and Marle were training just recently. Lucca said, "Okay, we'll need a plan. We need some kind of big plan to help save everyone. We need to somehow get back in my laboratory down there." 

A voice said from the trees, "Not likely."

Lucca whirled around to come face-to-face with a robot. Or rather, it was a robot body with a person in the cockpit. It seemed to be spider-like, but the robot itself was not that much bigger than a pickup truck. Lucca asked, "What do you mean, 'Not likely'? And just who are you anyway?"

The voice replied, "Why should I tell you brats who am I? You're not going back, because I was told to make sure you did not go back in."

Chrono looked furious. He shouted, "We're brats? Who the hell do you think you are?"

Marle said, "And how do you plan on stopping us from going back in?"

The person in the robot laughed. He suddenly ran the robot forward, attempting to ram into Marle. She quickly jumped up and dodged the attack. She then pulled out her bow and shot the robot multiple times, none of which seemed to do any damage. The person said, "That's one way of stopping you."

Marle said, "You'll have to do better in a piece of junk like that."

Lucca said, "Actually the robot is pretty well built. I have to give the maker credit…"

Marle said, "Geez, just whose side are you on?"

Lucca said, "I'm just pointing out the facts! Don't be so touchy. Anyway, it's not like it's anything nearly as good as I can make."

The person in the robot rammed forward again, this time heading for Lucca. Lucca pulled out her blaster gun and started to shoot the robot, but to no avail. Marle shouted, "Hey, where's Ayla?"

Marle shouted back, "She must've gotten sidetracked back in the other world, and got separated from us."

Chrono shook his head and said, "I hope Rion and Robo are faring better than we are."

Lucca looked back and said, "I'm sure they are. After all, they were waiting to ambush us here, not there."

Chrono said, "I hope so, for our sake as well as theirs."

He looked at Marle, who started to throw ice balls continually at the robot, trying to damage it. Yet, it seemed to be of no avail. Chrono realized that they were in serious trouble in this battle if they could not damage that robot. He muttered, "Oh well… here goes nothing. Luminaire!"

A bright flash of light emanated, and a trail of blazing white electricity struck the robot. The robot sparked for a second but the pilot just laughed. He said, "Is that the best you can do?"

The robot then kneeled down on the ground. Chrono walked slowly up and said, "I think it's damaged."

The pilot laughed and said, "Not quite!"

Quick as a flash, the robot got up and ran toward Chrono. Chrono was too surprised to move and ended up getting head butted. He bounced off a tree and landed on the ground, unconscious. The robot then quickly grabbed Marle with his arm and held her by her throat. He smiled at Lucca and said, "Now what do you think of this piece of junk?"

* * *

Cloud had been walking down for what seemed like ages down the path. He looked at the group and sighed. It was odd to not have Rion around, complete with his wise deductions, cool disposition, and fierce power at times. Rion was quiet unless you managed to know him a little better. Cloud sighed as he wondered how well Rion was faring at the moment. 

Cloud then turned his new traveling companion. Frog was similar to Rion in only a few ways. Cloud could see a small resemblance with the fact that both were wise. However, even this new creature's wisdom just seemed different. It was in a way that Cloud could not describe it. He looked at Frog again and saw that the creature was just somewhat lonely. He was still full of spirits, but Cloud saw past that and saw that this creature was more brash and impulsive in what he did. He was more talkative than Rion, and Cloud managed to learn much about his past with his former companions.

Not only that, but Frog was a skilled swordsman. Cloud started to reminisce about the fight he had with Frog earlier. Cloud thought, at first, that it was going to be a simple pushover fight, but after the first blow, Cloud knew he had to go all out. He also noticed that Frog used a Masamune blade, which brought back some painful memories…

"Cloud! Hello, are you in there?" A voice came through and broke that had him lost in memories. He noticed Yuffie was staring him in the eyes, hardly a foot away. She finally backed off and said, "Good… about time someone flicked the on switch."

Cloud said, "Sorry, I was just thinking about something in the past."

Frog said, "'Tis memories that make a person."

Cloud said, "Yeah, sure."

Frog said, "I know that thy skills with a blade is most wondrous indeed. Yet, I could not help but wonder at how marvelous you blocked my blows with thine blade."

Cloud said, "Experience. That's all."

Frog said, "You hath shown knowledge when dealing with a Masamune blade. I trust thou hast combated one ere now."

Cloud winced as some painful memories of a previous battle came back to haunt him (or maybe it was frog's speech). He slowly replied, "You could say that I have had a few encounters with that blade type before. Although yours is much smaller than the one I have faced before."

Frog, noticing Cloud's response, decided to press no further. They emerged upon a rather run down village. Curious as to what happened, Cloud and the group entered the village. It was a normal village, with the exception that some kind of outside force destroyed most of it. As Cloud wandered through the town, they ran across a soldier. He seemed pretty badly wounded. Cloud looked at the man, who managed to look at each one in the group with terror. His eyes finally set upon Frog, which sent him into another frenzy.

"Knave, demon, true servant of the netherworld! How dare you betray us?" was all he could say before an arrow pierced his skull, killing him.

Frog jumped back and looked at the archer that stood before him. She was dressed in a red shirt, with white pants. She wore boots and a red hat with a feather in it. She looked at the group and said, "Servants of the netherworld and knights of the former Lodis Empire. Oppose us and meet an untimely demise."

Cloud stepped forward toward the archer and said, "I'm sorry, but I don't know what you're talk—"

The archer, as soon as Cloud had stepped forward, fitted two arrows onto her bow. She quickly pulled back the string, and let the arrows fly. Both arrows fit snugly on top of Cloud's ears, like the arms on a pair of glasses. Cloud stopped in mid-sentence and quickly stepped backward. Another archer, clad an green, said, "Liedel, Magnus wishes to see you immediately."

Liedel nodded in response and said, "Go back, and tell him we have prisoners. Maybe this group will speak."

The other archer said, "Yes ma'am," and walked away.

Liedel looked at Frog and said, "Netherworld vermin, come with me. The rest of you will come as well. You are found consorting with netherworldly creatures, and are thus treated as bearers of the Infernal Aura and prisoners from Lodis."

Cloud looked over at Tifa and muttered, "Wonderful. Mistaken identities and a captor that could use a few pills."

Two arrows hurtled through the air, splitting both arrows in Cloud's ears cleanly in half. She looked back at Cloud and said, "No discussing escape plans." Although Liedel did not show it, she smiled on the inside. Torturing these prisoners would be so much fun…

Author's Note: ... Well, end of the chapter. Cookie for those of you who can figure out who Liedel is... here's a hint... her name is Liedel Klein. Strangely, Cookie is a unit leader in this game on my file as well.

Anyway, yeah, grammar is a bit off, as usual, but I'll work on it when I get the time.


	7. Relief? Release? The boy of fire

Author's Notes: WOO! I got my computer back, so I am back to writing again! Sorry about the extremely long delay, but combining the facts I had to fix my computer myself, dealing with the school musical, and school midterms… I really did not have much time for myself. Anyway, enjoy the chapter… and enjoy my two original character additions. I thought it might be nice to have them in here, just as comedy relief. Well, right now, they only make one appearance. I might just make more appearances of the characters (or even make them official characters) if I feel like it.

Chapter 7

Relief, Release... the boy of fire.

"Shit!"

Frog jumped up when he heard Cid shout the expletive. Cid had been vehemently expressing his thoughts under his break in the most profane way Frog had ever seen. Cid's "speech" was morbidly fascinating to the creature, which had rarely heard anyone use such obscene words in as large of a quantity as was being expressed now. The stream of words reminded Frog of a babbling brook. The words just issued out quickly and noticeably, as water would run down a stream.

However, on the other hand, it seemed Vincent was not as amused or pleased with Cid's tirade. After Cid shouted the expletive, Vincent turned to Cid and blandly said, "I know you're under stress, but shut _up_."

Cid said, "Well, sorry Mr. I-Have-No-Emotions! Not everyone can take stress like you can."

Vincent glared at Cid for a short time before turning away and shaking his head. He knew that one of these days Cid's mouth was definitely going to get him in trouble. Tifa, it seemed, was being rather quiet during this whole ordeal. Even Cait Sith seemed to keep his silence. Everyone knew that every one of them were in deep trouble, but it seemed only Cid was the one being vocal about it.

Finally, after a seemingly endless trek across the field, the group arrived at an encampment. Each of the group were forced to go inside one of the tents, tied up, and had their weapons taken away from them. Tifa smiled at Cloud, who nodded back at her. Already, Cloud was starting to formulate a perfect escape plan in his head. All he needed to make sure of was that Tifa was fast and strong enough to break her bindings.

As if on a cue of bad luck, a soldier came in and took Cloud out so the leader of this ragtag army could interrogate him. A few of the escorts blindfolded Cloud and took to one of the tents in the area. However, he was unsure as to which one they were taking him.

Cid looked at Tifa and said, "Damn, damn, damn! I don't wanna die! I don't wanna fucking die!"

Vincent finally snapped and said, "Shut up! Shut up! Shut your goddamn mouth you pansy!"

Sighing in exasperation, Tifa said, "Break it up, you two. This is not the best of times to be fighting among ourselves."

Giving each other one last death glare, the two ceased their argument and turned away from each other. Tifa shook her head and muttered, "Kids… I don't know what's wrong with these kids today. Well, they're older than me, but they act like kids."

Frog, who silent during the bickering, was intently focused on the exit where Cloud left. He muttered under his breath, "Let the wind guide you, young one."

Meanwhile, Cloud had just been un-blindfolded. He looked around himself, taking in his new surroundings. It seemed he was in an office of some sort. He saw a purple-haired man sitting down on the desk near him. He said, "I am Magnus Gallant, General of the Palatinian Army. A reliable source has informed me that you are working with denizens of the Netherworld. I was also informed that the green, frog-like creature you were traveling with just happens to be one of them."

Cloud looked at the general but did not reply right away. He looked Magnus over clearly before slowly saying, "And what if we're not?"

Magnus laughed and said, "Coming out of a blood-red portal near your companion, hopefully to avoid him getting caught with you? You two seemingly fight to throw off any spies. Not many people have the inhuman strength that you two did. Only a fair few humans and denizens of the Netherworld to be exact."

Cloud replied, "Your point is?"

Magnus laughed and said, "Playing stupid is not going to help you. For as long as you don't confess, we will torture your so-called friends until one of us tells us the truth."

In the tent, Cid said, "This is getting weirder by the minute."

Tifa said, "The truth is sometimes stranger than fiction."

Back at the office, Cloud said, "Simply put, you are I go free with the truth."

Magnus' officer, who was hidden in the shadows, stepped out. He was wearing heavy, golden-colored armor and was wielding a spear. He didn't seem that old either. In fact, he seemed younger than Cloud did. He looked at Cloud in the eye and said, "No lies. We'll let you go… depending on if your story is true or not."

Cloud sighed and said, "We come from a parallel universe. This blood-red portal pulled us here by some kind of weird accident. Frog, our green companion, became caught up in this whole affair as well. He was separated from his friends; so now we are looking for them as well as a way back him."

The officer took his spear, poked cloud, and exclaimed, "I said no lies!"

Magnus said, "I don't think he's lying. The Netherworld is a parallel universe. The blood-red portal is their portal here. Their accomplice was caught up in this whole affair. Perhaps, he was an unwilling person who was chosen for this task. He was separated from his regiment. Now, they are looking for a way back. That means that they are looking for a way to accomplish their mission. When they do that, they can finally return home. You have to read between the lines, Troi."

Cloud sighed and said, "Suit yourself. I told you my story; you just interpreted it wrong."

Magnus said, "Why don't you prove that you're not from the Netherworld?"

Cloud said, "And how, Mr. General, can I do that?"

Troi said, "Join the revolutionary army, and help us clear the rest of the Netherworld scum."

Cloud said, "Tempting offer, but we have to find our way home."

Troi grinned and replied, "You're acting as if you had a choice in the matter."

Cloud said, "You could just kill me. Put an innocent person to death to accomplish your goals."

Magnus said, "Enough, both of you. Troi, leave the tent. I shall speak to this person al—"

A sudden explosion was heard outside, and screaming could be heard. The tent that Cloud was currently located suddenly heated up to a very high temperature, probably from the commotion that was occurring outside.

Cid said, "Damn, it's like someone set the temperature to 'burn, bitch, burn!'"

Tifa said, "Will you shut up?"

A guard ran into the tent and said, "Prisoners, we are under attack. The attackers are denizens of the Netherworld. It seems like your partners in crime are looking for you."

Magnus appeared behind the guard with Cloud and said, "Let them go. They are innocent."

The guard sputtered for a second, unable to believe what he heard. He finally said, "Okay general."

The guard walked in and unlocked everyone, distracted only for a second by Cait Sith. Magnus said, "Okay, listen up. We are under attack by two possible members of the Netherworld. I have assigned all of you to help defeat them and save the camp. Complete this task, and I shall deem you innocent."

Tifa said, "That's it? Can we get our weapons and materia back?"

Magnus pointed to a corner, where a chest seemed to just sit there. He replied, "Yes, you can have it back."

Cloud said, "Is everyone ready?"

Cid said, "How many times must I say this? You are a damn wimp! Say it like a man!"

Cloud sighed and looked at Cid. He cleared his throat and said, "Move out!"

As everyone got their equipment, Liedel Klein was doing battle with the intruders. She looked at the two in front of her and said, "Who are you, and how many more are coming?"

One of the two, who seemed to be nothing more than a teenage boy, replied, "Who are you to ask of my name? I'm here with my dog right here. As far as I know, we're alone"

The girl said, "What is your purpose?"

The boy said, "Well, short-term is to burn down this shit-hole of a camp. Honestly, you have no security or anything. Long-term is to get back home. These damn blood-red portals came out of nowhere and claimed my friends. At least two came out of nowhere."

Liedel said, "What is yo—"

She paused in mid-sentence as the boy conjured a fireball and threw it at her. She quickly ducked to the ground and it whizzed over her. He laughed and said, "You're quite flexible and fast, and you're a blonde. Hmm…"

The boy grinned to himself as he stared at the archer. The dog looked up to him and, after a few seconds, bit him hard on the leg. A voice was projected into Liedel's mind, "Sorry for the inconvenience. It seems he can't stay dedicated to his girlfriend."

The boy said, "I'm not an exclusive man. I can go around if I damn well please."

The voice once again projected, "You are a stubborn fool." He looked at Liedel and said, "Forgive me for not introducing myself. I am Rufius. You may be wondering how I am communicating with you. It seems that I can connect myself to your feeble mind through telepathy. This boy here prefers to be called Flame."

Liedel pulled her bow, nocked an arrow, and said, "Enough."

Flame smiled and slowly said, "Ooh, bad girl. Wanna play with me?"

Once again, Rufius bit Flame on the leg, who jumped in pain and swore at the dog. While the commotion was going on, Liedel let the arrow fly at the dog.

Cloud, Tifa, and the rest of the group arrived in time to see the arrow shot. Rufius heard the whistling and turned toward the arrow. A split-second later, the arrow stopped in mid-air, as if it was just frozen there. He said, "Chronokinesis. It is a powerful tool. And that's one of my four main powers."

Tifa muttered, "Time control. That's quite a power to be facing."

Cloud said, "Whatever."

Meanwhile, Rufius said to Liedel, "You bore us. Come on Flame, we need to find a way home before that deranged girl takes it over again."

Flame said, "Let me have my fun. There's music to play, places to go, and people to see. I'm sure that even though we are in another world, there are quite a few hot chicks here. I mean, check out that archer…"

Rufius said, "And if you keep that up, you're going to get an arrow shoved in a place where the sun doesn't shine."

Flame pouted and sullenly said, "You're such a bastard… you're no fun at all."

Rufius playfully said, "I am not a bastard. I'm not even a bitch. I'm a male dog."

Flame groaned at Rufius. It was a bad pun, and they both knew it. He said, "Your puns begin to annoy me. They're so stupid."

Tifa, seeing the opportunity muttered to no one in particular, "Have a taste of Fire 3."

She held out the materia and shot out a great blast of fire at the two. Immediately, Flame jumped in front of the attack and absorbed the fire.

Liedel looked over to the group and said, "Netherworld scum! You escaped!"

Tifa thought, "_Mental note… don't EVER use a fire attack on a fire enchanter_."

Cloud calmly replied, "We were set free by your general. We are not from the Netherworld, and you can get your general to confirm it. Neither are these two. I can tell from the way they converse with each other and with you that they are in the same problem we are."

Liedel replied, "They attacked us."

Cloud said, "An irresponsible action that we shall now punish."

Flame looked over and said, "You're gonna punish me. Which one of you was nice enough to heal me?"

Tifa walked forward and said, "I'm right here."

Flame leered at Tifa for a second before saying, "You healed me. Can you make me a happy boy? Punish me all you want."

Rufius groaned to himself and said, "Flame, you know I'm going to tell Liz about this, right?"

Flame said, "Okay, okay, I'll stop. Geez, are you sure _you_ aren't the one with the arrow stuck in the Hershey Highway?"

Tifa said, "And where do you think you two are going?"

Flame said, "Home. Where else?"

Rufius sarcastically said, "A bathroom."

Flame said, "Goodbye."

With that farewell, the two disappeared into the air. Tifa said, "Well, well, idiots galore. It seemed that it took too much energy for that bastard to look me in the face."

Cloud said, "Well, we must be going now."

Liedel looked at Cloud, with an untrusting look in her eye. She said, "It will take a while for our camp to rebuild. Our general requests, if it is not too much too much to ask, to set some traps around the area."

Cloud sighed and replied, "Sure, I guess a few net traps and a few pitfalls and net traps will be enough to slow down an enemy and warn you of them.

Liedel looked carefully before smiling. She thanked the group and reported to the leader's tent. By the time an hour passed, traps were set on three sides of the camp. The fourth side was open for the guards to watch, and for the army to move out when ready.

Magnus looked at Cloud and said, "I, on behalf of the Revolutionary Army, apologize for all the misunderstandings and mistreatment you had. You are welcome back to Palatinus, should anything be needed from us for you."

Cloud nodded at Magnus and said, "Likewise. Hire us if you need help at all."

Magnus said, "If it's any help at all, we found a portal similar to the one you went through. It could be possible that it's the one those two came from."

Cloud replied, "Where is it?"

Magnus replied, "North. Follow the path that you didn't trap, and eventually you'll reach it."

Cloud bowed in reply and said, "Thank you very much."

Yuffie jumped up and said, "Yeah! Let's go!"

Cloud looked and said, "You didn't steal anything, did you?"

Yuffie said, "Nothing good here for me to steal anyway."

Cloud shook his head and said, "You shouldn't steal… regardless of if the stuff is good or not."

Yuffie replied, "Aww, but Cloud!"

Cloud replied, "That's final. We don't need trouble in other worlds."

Frog saluted Magnus and said, "Fare thee well young warrior. May fate smile upon us to once again meet. Perhaps we shall test our swordplay against each other. May thy sword hold true until then."

Magnus returned the salute and said, "Likewise."

With that note, the group set off along the trail to find the portal that might lead them home.


End file.
